10 Terrible Gimmick Wrestling Matches One Tweak Away From Excellence

Close to perfection, but even closer to chaos...

Sheamus Steel Cage
WWE.com

WWE most recent Hell In A Cell debacle (imagine the timeline where that qualifier was required, only don't, because we're in it) was another reminder that even the most treasured stipulations can be blown to pieces by bad booking.

Though Shawn Michaels insisted on getting on top of the structure during its original airing in 1997, his efforts weren't remotely in betrayal of the story being told. 'HBK' was on the run the entire time, and the need to open the door to set free an injured cameraman was all the excuse he needed. Similarly, when The Undertaker blocked his route to the back, Michaels genuinely believed safety awaited him in the heavens rather than trapped in the titular hell.

22 years on, and the company would have long stopped the match. Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt's contemporary catastrophe was b*llocks at best and career-killing at worst. The true results remain to be seen, but have the company conclusively cocked up the prestige of what used to be known as "Satan's Prison".

It was hell to watch, at very least. As were all of these matches, though in direct contrast to the mesh, these never truly stood a chance. Though they could have...

10. King Of The Road

Sheamus Steel Cage
WWE.com

Why It's Terrible: It's a fight on a moving hay truck where the result isn't even determined by pinfall or submission but by making it to one end of the truck and ringing a bell. It's a weird watch, but admirably experimental.

One Tweak:

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett